A momentous and impactful NWSL season comes down to four final playoff teams.
Each of this year’s semifinalists has a compelling hook. Gotham FC aims to make league history and cement its dominance. The Kansas City Current and Washington Spirit try to avenge stinging losses from last postseason. The Utah Royals, who have never made it this far, have a chance to shock women’s soccer.
Advertisement
Check out the schedule for this weekend’s semis, and hear from The Athletic‘s staff writers about why these matches are must-watches.
How to watch the 2026 NWSL semifinals
|
Game |
Time (ET) |
TV |
Stream |
|
Spirit vs. Royals |
Noon, Sat. |
CBS |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
|
Gotham FC vs. Current |
3 p.m., Sun. |
ABC, ESPN Deportes |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
ABC and CBS are free over the air. ABC also streams on ESPN Unlimited. CBS also streams on Paramount+.
The winner of each game moves on to the NWSL Championship, which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
No. 3 Washington Spirit vs. No. 7 Utah Royals
Saturday, Nov. 14; Audi Field — Washington, D.C.
The Spirit seek redemption after back-to-back finals losses. They fell to the Orlando Pride in 2024 and to Gotham last year, both 1-0 heartbreakers. This season’s squad is the No. 3 seed, managed by Adrián González. MVP finalist Trinity Rodman had two of Washington’s four goals in a quarterfinal rout of the Portland Thorns.
Advertisement
Utah just earned its first NWSL playoff win in franchise history. The club rejoined the league in 2024, with an 11th-place finish in that first season back and the 12th spot in 2025. This surprise run has Jimmy Coenraets as a Coach of the Year candidate. The seventh-seeded Royals landed a quarterfinal stunner on the San Diego Wave, thanks to huge saves from Mandy McGlynn and a game-winning strike from Kiana Palacios.
These sides played each other twice during the regular season. They drew 1-1 in their first meeting on March 25. Washington won 1-0 on July 29, with a goal from Rodman and a clean sheet from Sandy MacIver.
Why you should watch
Melanie Anzidei: The Spirit are chasing history. There has only ever been one team to win an NWSL Championship at home — and that was the North Carolina Courage when they won their third consecutive title in Cary, solidifying their place as one of the greatest teams in league history. The Spirit will be fueled by the fact that this semifinal is being played at Audi Stadium, after weeks of uncertainty. A win would mean they return to Audi next week for the championship. But will they overcome the Royals, who are on a heartbreak tour themselves after upsetting the Wave last week? Truly anything can happen in the postseason, which is what makes this the most wonderful time of year in the NWSL.
Advertisement
Tamerra Griffin: The No. 7 Royals are the only playoff debutants in the postseason and took down the No. 2 team in the quarterfinals. They’ve got a tight-knit squad who are all on the same tactical page under a young head coach from Belgium, and there is no better test of their collective resolve than playing the high-flying Spirit at their home stadium — or as the club and its supporters call it, Rowdy Audi.
Meg Linehan: For new viewers of the NWSL, Rodman is absolutely your easiest way in thanks to her reach outside the world of women’s soccer. But if you only know her from her name, you’re about to be in for a ride. I was at last weekend’s quarterfinal in person, and Rodman was in peak form: scoring goals, adding an assist, and ready to party with the fans after. If you like big superstars who can walk the walk and talk the talk, Trin’s your gal. On the flip side, if you love a dark horse, go all in on Utah. It’s the Royals’ first time ever in the NWSL playoffs, and they’re embracing the swagger that comes with walking into someone else’s house and stealing the cookie jar. The No. 2 Wave got got last weekend, but if the Royals pull it off against the Spirit? Whew. We’re all going to be talking about it.
Asli Pelit: I don’t know about you, but I love what Americans call a “Cinderella story,” and the Royals are the Cinderellas of the NWSL playoffs. They now face a Spirit team chasing another shot at the championship after falling short in last year’s final. Washington has the experience, boasts some of the league’s best players and has the Rowdy Audi behind them, but Utah can spoil the party. In Brazil, they call upsets like that “deu zebra.”
No. 1 Gotham FC vs. No. 4 Kansas City Current
Sunday, Nov. 15; Icahn Stadium — New York
Advertisement
No. 1 Gotham goes for a second straight championship with head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. The club also pursues an unprecedented league treble. Gotham won the NWSL Shield as the regular-season points leader, as well as the midseason NWSL Challenge Cup against Kansas City. Elite goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger had a shutout in the Challenge Cup win; she just stonewalled the Seattle Reign in the quarterfinal round, too.
The fourth-seeded Current are out for revenge against their newfound rivals, who also knocked them out of last season’s playoffs. Two-time defending NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga paces the attack. Under new coach Chris Armas, K.C. advanced to the semis after Michelle Cooper converted a penalty kick in extra time versus Angel City FC.
Despite such stakes, Sunday’s semifinal is being played at Icahn Stadium. The Randall’s Island venue is 25 miles from Gotham’s primary home of Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J, and has one-fifth of the capacity. The match was moved due to poor pitch conditions that arose during the quarterfinal. Meanwhile, the Current were delayed in their trip to New York because of Friday’s nationwide ground stop.
Gotham claimed two of three previous meetings with the Current this season — the Challenge Cup matchup and a 2-1 finish on Aug. 14. Kansas City won 2-1 in April with Cooper’s go-ahead score.
Advertisement
Anzidei: The Current were upset by Gotham in last year’s quarterfinals, making this match feel like unfinished business for Kansas City. The Current, though, are in much better form compared to this time last year and, notably, have Chawinga available — last year, she was watching from the sidelines because of a hip injury, which proved detrimental for the club. That’s not to say Gotham will make this easy for the Current, especially as the Shield winners are looking to become only the third team in league history with three championships under their belt. They are just two wins away from that feat.
Griffin: The other semifinal has more classical overtones. Last season, the No. 1-ranked Current were upset by No. 8 Gotham, who went on to win the NWSL Championship. Now Gotham are the first-seed Shield winners looking to defend their title from last year’s favorites. The Current have scored the joint-most goals this season (54), while Gotham have conceded the fewest (23). The story writes itself.
Linehan: If you’re new to this one: here’s the beef. Literally. Last season, the Current had a historically good season for the NWSL, and won the NWSL Shield awarded to the best team through the regular season. Then Gotham, as the final playoff team and No. 8 seed, walked into their home stadium and out with a quarterfinal win before going on to win the 2025 championship. Some of the personnel has changed on both sides, but the cores of both teams remain. Last year, pure baller Chawinga (back-to-back MVPs in 2024 and 2025) wasn’t able to play in the quarterfinal. This year, no such problem. She’s the key player to watch if you pick K.C., and the key player to fear if you pick Gotham.
Pelit: This will be a clash between two teams with serious championship ambitions. After losing to Gotham FC in last year’s quarterfinals at their home, Kansas City is coming to Icahn Stadium with one of the league’s strongest rosters and lot to prove. Gotham not only can match them in talent but also knows what it takes to win a title — they did it twice. If Gotham didn’t have enough motivation to win until now, they sure do after the hassle with Sports Illustrated Stadium and having to move their most important home game to the much smaller Icahn over night. With a trip to the final on the line, I expect plenty of drama, even penalties, to decide the finalists.
Advertisement
Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Gotham FC, Kansas City Current, Washington Spirit, Utah Royals FC, NWSL, Fubo Partnership, How to Watch
2026 The Athletic Media Company
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
